Toddler bending one arm and not using it

[armquestion]

2.5 DD has been holding her arm bent against her body and not using it since yesterday afternoon. No known cause. She was still bending her arm at night asleep and saying 'ow.'

She showed me where it hurt - around the wrist/lower forearm - but didn't react when I pressed it and moved it.

Any advice welcome, thanks

They always have something to worry us with! If no known injury I would just watch and wait for now, if it resolves then great. If pain gets worse/continues for another day or 2 I'd go to a walk in centre over the weekend.

Since yesterday afternoon, if she s still doing it this morning I would pop up to minor injuries

Dislocated elbow! My dd had this. She was saying it hurt around her wrist as well. I took her to an and e and she even had an x ray on her wrist which showed nothing. In the end they diagnosed dislocated elbow and one of the nurses quickly popped it back in to place whilst she was distracted. She cried for ten seconds and then she was fine and we went home!

It’ll likely be a pulled elbow. Does she have older siblings who might have pulled her up by the hand?

see if you can gently get the elbow to 90 degrees then rotate the forearm in each direction. It should click back in
if not you need children’s ED.

My record was putting 9 of these back in one week about 20 years ago (I work in A&E!)

Definitely get it checked out.

Yes, she said her older brother 'squashed' it!

It's still the same today and she wouldn't let me rotate it - said it hurt. We don't have a minor injuries so will try A&E or can it wait for GP?

You need to go to A&E (A&E dr). Go now before it gets too busy on a Saturday.

You can't leave her until the GP opens to get it checked, she is consistently telling you it hurts but not using it and saying "Ow!", you now know there is a possible cause and it needs checking out today.

Thanks all. She has joint hypermobility as well so the dislocation makes sense. It just hadn't occurred to me. On our way to A&E now

Go now. The GP won't be open until Tuesday.

Good luck.

I once pulled my DD's elbow out accidentally while swinging her around. It did not look good - mother a social worker, father a GP! Gulp!

Yes to dislocated elbow, so common in toddlers even the receptionist at our a&e knew what my DD had done! Dr popped it back in and DD was instantly out of pain, no lasting damage. Hope a&e isn't too busy OP, let us know how you get on.

You need to take her to hospital today OP. A GP doesn't have x-ray eyes.

We're back from A&E. It was a dislocated elbow as pp's rightly suggested. Doctor popped it back which DD was not pleased about, but she was immediately back to normal. (Refused to give her a high five when we left though - just said 'I didn't like that'!)

V grateful for the helpful advice. Dislocated joint was not something that crossed my mind. I'll know for next time 🤞

Ah, glad it was easily fixed OP, although no doubt unpleasant for DD! I presented at a&e reception in something of a panic and said I thought my DD had broken her arm, receptionist took one look at the way she was holding her arm and said 'ah, not to worry, she'll just have popped her elbow out' so they must see it an awful lot for it to be that obvious

It's very common in young children